


Masked in Malfeasance

by Silstre



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Barry is oblivious but doing his best??, Chief of Police Davenport, F/M, Guy In The Chair Lucretia, Krav is a reformed villain, M/M, Spy Lucretia??, Superhero Kravitz, Superhero fanatic Barry, Supervillain AU, The twins are a supervillain duo because they’re Extra tm, They’re all lame??, Villain Lup, Villain Taako, give him time, superhero au, superhero magnus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-05-29 20:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15080879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silstre/pseuds/Silstre
Summary: It’s been a few months since Kravitz officially switched sides from the darkness to light, but he’s not so sure he’s managed to leave quite everything attached to that life *attached* to it.After all, a simple change in status from The Reaper to Entity might not be enough to stifle all that he left behind.





	1. Chapter 1

  “Do you think Alter was scrutinizing me more than usual?”

 

  Magnus glanced over to the spot the villain had been a moment ago, the twins having fled once the sirens were in earshot. They didn’t bother chasing; even if they caught the two, they’d never be able to keep them detained for more than a day, at best. Catching one and not the other just meant losing the captive about an hour after being incarcerated.

  “Nah,” Magnus responded, reaching past his mask to scratch casually at his neck. He always complained about how itchy it could get, but he’s too stubborn to get a new one.

  “I’ll have to start over! Do you know how many people’s merchandise will get scrapped if I get a new look? ‘Oh, who’s that’ ‘Oh, that’s just I’Mork ō.’ ‘ I’Mork ō?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘Man, he looks like such a dweeb now!’ See the problem with that?”

  “I’m sure no one will call you a ‘dweeb,’ Magnus,” He’d reassured, to which he’d only received the ‘Magnus Look’ in response.

  “He’s just a weirdo, you know?” Present Magnus shrugged. Kravitz glanced over to where the police had begun investigating the area for clues as to the Twins’ identities. Kravitz knew from personal experience that those two didn’t leave a trace, no matter the rush they left in. Not even a hair.

  “Sure,” He returned distractedly.

  Kravitz was not always a hero. He sure as hell never thought he’d end up as one.

  See, Kravitz was not  _ made  _ for heroism. Due to…preferably undisclosed reasons, Kravitz had what many would call “witchcraft.” Of course, that was a simpleton’s standpoint. What Kravitz was capable of was a set of very, frankly, questionable abilities. Let’s just say he more than walked the line between life and death.

 

* * *

 

  He glanced at Magnus as they ate lunch together the day following the theft. According to news reports, what they stole this time was a blueprint of the museum. On his way here, he’d seen a group of police cars crowded around said museum, so at least that explained that. Idiots, really. The twins weren’t dense enough to let something like that be known to the public. There was surely a twist under wraps.

 

  “...It’d be so interesting to see that happen.”

  “Dude, you should go stake it out!” Magnus smiled at their friend as Kravitz tuned back into the conversation. Barry gave him a quizzical look, but seemed onboard for the most part. Realizing what they were talking about, Kravitz jumped in.

  “Magnus,” He gave him a pointed look. He turned to the other man at the table. “Don’t. The police will probably catch you before anything happens anyways.”

  “I guess,” Barry frowned. Police sirens.

  “That was sooner than expected,” Kravitz turned to look towards the street, where police cars rushed by. They were leaving the parking lot of the silent museum.

 

  Called it.

 

  “Where’s it coming from?” Barry jumped to his feet, pulling out his phone, likely to call his fellow hero/villain fanatic. Despite hearing it ring continuously, Kravitz still watched Barry hurry to his car, grabbing his bag on the way.

  “Hey! Do you want me to take your leftover- he’s gone,” Magnus sighed, cutting off his prior yelling.

 

  As per usual, the twins were putting way too much effort into presentation.

  The police had quickly put up a makeshift barrier around the bank, ducked behind their low walls. There was never any knowing what the twins might pull.

 

  “Gentlemen, hold your applause,” Alter announced at the sound of guns shifting to trail the two elves.

 

  “Keep it, babe,” Umbra said, patting the shoulder of the woman she’d just stuffed a twenty into the breast pocket of. The woman, despite this, didn’t look too pleased.  

Kravitz could probably chalk it up to the fact that the elf had her in a headlock as they walked forward, holding the hostage in front of most of her body.

  “Release the hostages and drop the money! If you go quietly, there will still be chance to negotiate your sentence!” The chief of police announced. Kravitz could tell in a second that that was a bluff; these two had committed enough crimes for twenty people in their years of villaining. It was clear that the twins knew the same. Colorful smoke wafted about the twins’ ankles as they broke into wider grins. “Presentation is what determines your intimidation, my man,” Alter had told him once. “Without it, you’re just a bozo with a gun and a mask.”

 

  “Oh,  _ Davenport!  _ Davenport, Davenport, Davenport, I can’t do that. Who’d keep all this money?” Alter asked.

 

  “I would,” Umbra grinned as she leaned over to her brother.

  “I’d die first, dear sister,” Alter grinned back.

  “Arranged.”

  “This is your last chance!” Davenport shouted. The men around him lifted their guns once more. “Take it or leave it!”

 

  The twins turned to face one another.

 

  “Tough one,” Umbra feigned contemplation.

  “Horribly. Horribly so,” Alter shook his head. He and Umbra played out what was clearly a fake discussion under their breaths to one another.

 

  “We’ll have to take a no on that one, Dav,” Alter answered casually. Davenport made a single discrete motion with his right hand, and the gunner closest to him fired.

 

  “Charming!” Alter caught the bullet between his slim fingers, twisting his hand back around to his lips, and blew out a puff of pink chalk in the shape of a heart towards the chief. The rest of the gunners hefted their weapons, but Davenport closed his fist, a sign to stop, then gestured two fingers towards the hostage, who was now clinging to Umbra’s arm, clearly trying to break free. Umbra didn’t even seem to be straining her arm against the struggle. Magnus glanced past Kravitz, towards the chief once more, then turned back forward, grinning.

 

  “What-” Alter turned his head towards the bank, probably responding to the flick I’Mork ō had just delivered to the back of his head.

  “Ko!” Umbra scolded, pulling her brother away from the bullets that had begun racing towards him the moment he turned.

 

 Ko.

 

  She kept him near her. Of the two, she was much more obvious in caring about the other’s well-being. It’d almost be sweet if they weren’t, you know, killers and thieves.

  Kravitz focused a small amount of energy to the concrete below them, and Umbra stumbled as a crack opened between her feet; enough to displace ground, but not so much that things can get out.

 

  In her moment of distraction, Magnus used his power again: phantom fists. As she balanced herself, he pulled the woman from her grip and then proceeded to punch the villain square in the face.

 

  Alter’s eyes narrowed, and Kravitz watched as his gaze traced the line of the crack in the concrete...right to the two heroes.

  “Not cool, earthquake boy!” He called, pulling on the laid back stature, though his grin was harshly strained. Kravitz rolled to his right, glad that Magnus had already gotten up to face Umbra full-on, narrowly avoiding Alter’s bolts of energy.

 

  One of the policemen had moved up behind Alter, raising his gun like a bat.

  “Alter!” Umbra called, hands matched with Magnus’, pushing against one another. Alter whipped around, hands slamming onto the gun, and promptly turning it into a giant candy cane. Disarmed, the cop stepped back, holding the candy like a sword to shield any blows. Magnus, off to the side, had mistakenly turned his attention to this for a second too long, as Umbra bent and charged forward, her head making contact with The Bear’s gut.

 

  Kravitz whipped his cords forward, grappling either of Alter’s arms, then torso, and dragging the elf towards himself. As they made eye contact, Kravitz fought relentlessly to hold his resolve. Still, the moment the elf opened his mouth, Kravitz faltered.

  “Deja vu?” He proclaimed, raising an eyebrow.

  Did...did he  _ know? _ He couldn’t know, he’d changed himself for this new life, he couldn’t. Right?

 

  A firebolt came shooting towards the two at lightning speed, catching Kravitz’s sleeve, which gave Alter just enough slack to pull free, and return his sister’s favor by hitting Magnus straight in the back with another bolt of energy.

 

  They took this chance to regroup, Alter grabbed the case of money and suddenly it disappeared from his hand. However, it was shown to have been, in fact, transmuted into a simple blue stone, which was visible when he gave an armyman’s salute to the crowd of officers. And, at that, they vanished.

 

 

  It was made known to the public that evening that the museum had been robbed of half of its artwork within the same hour as the heist.


	2. Chapter 2

  “Oh, she’s  _ so _ cool, guys, you’ll love her.”

  “When’s she getting here again?” Magnus asked, propping his feet up on the coffee table.

 

  Kravitz, admittedly, was excited for today. Barry had been talking to (and about) this girl for maybe a month or two, now, and from the sound of it, she was  _ something _ . Plus, it was healthy for Barry to have a friend to talk about superheroes with other than the two that happened to also  _ be _ superheroes.

 

  “Well, supposedly any minute, really, but-” Barry was cut off by the doorbell. He shot a grin towards the other two as he got to his feet. Kravitz and Magnus shared a glance.

  “Hey!” Barry greeted the elf at the door cheerily, red-faced.

  “What’s happening?” She responded, stepping in. Barry moved to close the door as they began chatting happily.

  Kravitz raised his eyebrows as the door was stopped by something. Barry opened it again to see..Lup? But also not really Lup?

 

  “Oh. Hey, Taako, what’re you doing here?” Barry said, only somewhat fazed. Oh. Kravitz took a second to process the situation: twins. He’d completely blanked on the fact that there were twins  _ outside  _ of the magic criminals he’d been dealing with for the past three years.

  “Taako,” Lup pouted. The other elf held up his hands in a defensive position.

  “We’re, like, ten minutes early! What, you want me to show up...” But Kravitz began zoning out, fixated on the elf before him. He was dressed in cool colors, even the boots he was wearing were purple as he pulled one from the doorway. His bleached hair was in a low bun at the base of his head, messy in a way that any outside eye might not be able to tell was on purpose. His eyes had a certain stoniness to them that Kravitz couldn’t place, and it made him want to shiver and swoon at the same time.

 

  No. What?  _ No! _ No. Kravitz had no time for romance, he knew this easily. He doesn’t have time as Entity now, and he never even had it as-

  “Hey, Grim Reaper!” Kravitz was startled from his thoughts as Lup flopped onto the couch, Barry between them.

  “What?” He asked, frazzled. Barry gave him a sheepish look.

  “She’s been coming up with these nicknames ever since I told her you work at the funeral home,” He explained, smiling in apology. “She’s been excited to get to use them, finally.”

 

  Lup’s brother (Taako?) was looking at him now, leaned back on the couch beside his sister. He was clearly only looking through the corner of his eye, coolly, but, even then, the second their eyes met, Kravitz averted his gaze, flustered.

  “Makes  _ sense! _ ” Magnus exclaimed from Kravitz’s right. “Why didn’t  _ I  _ think of that?”

  “Don’t worry, I’m cooler than  _ everyone _ ,” Lup said matter-of-factly as she crossed her arms, leaning into the cushion behind her. Glancing his way, Kravitz noted that Taako was no longer looking over, which was, in all honesty, probably best for his own heart health. Despite being on his phone, it was evident by the angle of Taako’s ears that he was still listening to the conversation intently.

 

  After maybe ten minutes of chatter (for most of which Kravitz preferred just staying quiet), Taako stood tiredly and stretched.

  “Alright, Lulu, I’m ditching you,” He said casually.

_   “Finally!” _ Lup explained, splaying herself onto where Taako had been sitting prior.

  “Shut up, or the next time you see me I’ll be wearing the  _ hell _ out of your favorite everything,” Taako said, pressing her spiked hair down to her scalp, much to Lup’s dismay.

  “Then I’ll steal your boots!” Lup threatened, not missing a beat. Taako recoiled from behind the couch.

  “ _ Hell _ no, you’ll get mud all over them!”

  “That’s the plan!” Lup called after her brother as he reached the door.

  “Not if I beat you to the house!” He replied as he shut the door.

 

  “Oh, it’s  _ on _ ,” Lup muttered, smirking.

  “Don’t you guys share a car?” Barry asked. She turned to him, pushing a stray hair from her forehead in the closest manner to a hair flip as she could muster.

  “It’s not  _ about _ the transport,  _ Barold _ , it’s about who can get up to our  _ floor _ quicker.”

  “Ah,” Barry said, clearly feigning an understanding of the twins’ interactions. “Right.”

 

* * *

 

 

  Taako narrowed his eyes as the small shadow turned tail and ran from the scene.

  “Hey, Lu, you see that?” He asked absentmindedly.

  “See what, _ Alter? _ ” She teased, already on top of the fence.

  “Dunno. Couldn’t make it out,” He replied, still looking where it’d been.

  “Come on, we have to change back,” Lup said.

  “Worried I’ll make you tardy for your  _ hot date? _ ” Taako called, beginning to climb.

  “Taako?” Lup called gently.

  “Yeah?”

  “Taako? Taako, my dearest brother? Heart of my hearts?”

  “What’s up?” He grinned lazily.

  “If you call it a ‘hot date’ one more time, you’re going to wake up with no legs,” She smiled sickly.

  “Okay, fair,” He responded awkwardly, continuing to scale the fence.

 

 

  “Another one for the ‘cash and shit’ pile, Lu,” Taako remarked.

  “That’s the one next to the ‘antiques or whatever’ pile, right?”

  Taako hummed.

  “Hey, Luce!” He called from the couch, sitting upside-down with his legs up on the back cushion.

  “Yes, Taako?” The human asked, not looking up from her laptop.

  “Go ahead and grab yourself that split, now.”

 

  Taako batted his fingers and a stone in the Cash and Shit pile flickered, hovering over the floor and shifting into a burlap bag, before promptly dropping with a thud against the wood. Lup shot a look at her brother.

  “What? Hey, be glad it wasn’t one of the gold ones!”

  Lup pressed her palms to her eyes as Lucretia settled on her knees in front of the bag, digging patiently for her share of the cash.

  “We  _ need  _ a better system, Ko.”

  Taako, now upright, averted his eyes in a pout.

  “Says you. I’m going out.”

  “Where?” She asked, smirking. “Do  _ you _ have a secret hot date?”

  Lucretia giggled quietly.

  “Watch it, I can take that cash back!” Taako jabbed a finger at her. She smiled.

  “Okay.”

 

* * *

 

 

  This was stupid. It was stupid, but Kravitz was well prepared to take the fall if it ended badly.

  Who was he kidding, how could this end  _ any  _ other way?

  No matter, he was already almost there. Just a little while longer, and-

 

  Wait.

 

  Kravitz froze as he approached. The birds were active.

  His gaze trailed up to his beautiful glass ceiling, a few panels still shattered from his last fight, five months ago. Was…

 

  Was someone inside?

 

  Kravitz shook his head. Don’t be stupid, an animal probably just got in. He gave another glance at his once-palace, now covered in vines, which, as he knew, was pretty much the Raven and Ram’s personal form of graffiti, and pushed the door open.

  His birds, as expected, all turned their heads in his direction as he entered. A few of the crows cawed quietly. A blackbird chirped in surprise.

  Kravitz made a ‘quiet’ motion, holding his finger to his lips. The birds fell silent, going back to preening and what have you.

 

* * *

 

  “It’s stupid.  _ You’re  _ stupi-”

  Hold on.

  Taako listened intently for a moment, his words having been interrupted by a few of the birds near the door. After waiting about a minute, watching, he turned back to the statue of the queen.

  “Fuckin’ birds,” He muttered to himself.

  “Whatever.”

  Taako let his hand trail against the railing around the Raven Queen’s statue as he rounded it to the other side. He paused, letting his hand drop.

  “What a waste of a fuckin’ evening,” He complained to no one in particular. He kicked one of the walls.

  “Why’d I even think he’d  _ be  _ here?” He exclaimed at a normal level, loud compared to the muttering he’d been doing prior. “He was hardly even here when he was  _ around! _ That prick probably  _ ate it _ all that time ago and I’m just being hopeless with this!”

  He slammed a fist onto the wall he’d just kicked, turning it from stone to water on impact. It splashed to the floor immediately, narrowly missing his shoes. Taako took a step back, pressing a hand to his temple.

  “Calm down, calm down, dipshit,” He muttered to himself. He heard familiar heels clicking on the stone below him, echoing around The Reaper’s lair. Dress shoes.  _ Those were  _ _ his  _ _ dress- _

  Taako bolted behind the nearest wall as something came around the corner.

 

  “Hello?”

  Oh gods. Oh  _ gods _ , oh  _ shit _ , it was  _ him _ -

  “Hello?” The voice asked again. He couldn’t stay here. He had to go. Taako had to get out of here. Right. Now.

  “Don’t be alarmed, but I heard you,” The Reaper said cautiously.

 

  Gods, jeez, Taako hadn’t heard his voice in so long, he wanted to cheer and cry all at once. It was…

 

  It was now or never.

 

  Taako understood that he might never hear from him again if he didn’t answer now. He couldn’t deal with that. Not again. Not after five months.

 

  “What’s up, thug?” He called in what he  _ hoped  _ was a confident tone, leaning his back up against the wall between them like it was his lifeline.

  “Alt--Alter, that was you? Wait, where are you?” The Reaper’s voice immediately perked up into a tone of shock and...hope?

  Shut up, Taako, not hope.

  Not hope at all.

 

  “Guilty,” He crossed his arms coolly, despite the fact that they could not, in fact, see one another.

  Which was good, Taako realized. Shit. He wasn’t in costume or  _ anything! _ Taako immediately felt completely exposed as the cool air of the conservatory swept over his body.

 

  “Just prayin’ to your god or whatever. Cha’boy wants a  _ pony  _ this Candlenights. ‘S that too much? Tell me if she’s not up to that." The Reaper laughed, and  _ gods  _ this was so  _ right  _ and so  _ wrong  _ and so  _ everything in the middle _ that it made Taako want to  _ scream _ .

 

  “No, but where are you?”

  “Where I  _ am  _ is livin’ in a  _ fantasy, _ babe,” Taako dodged. “Let me do you one better: Where  _ were _ you? For, like, five months.”

  The Reaper was silent.

  “I’ve been..underground,” He eventually admitted, breathing into the words.

  “Alright,” Taako began walking again, following the length of the maze. “When’re you comin’ back up? I need the specifics so I can schedule us a date, huh?” He teased.

  “About that, Alter,” He started. Taako’s steps faltered, his heels ceasing sound.

  “I don’t think I’m..going to.”

  A flash of red, and Taako looked below him, to where a circle of black glass had spread away from his body for at least eight feet in every direction. He guessed he’d been right in assuming that all the color had drained from his body. Literally.

  “Alter?” The Reaper asked, alarmed. “Are you alright?”

 

  “Why not?” Taako kept the showy lilt in his voice, but he knew it was close to faltering, now.

  “I-”

  A crash resounded from behind the entry wall, both heads whipping to face the noise immediately.

 

* * *

 

  “Ah, bunk,” A voice resounded dejectedly from the direction of the crash. Kravitz, still in his reaper form, watched as a dove bolted from behind the wall in front of him, the white standing almost celestial against the dark colors of his old lair. He allowed his features to set into a grimace. There went his only chance.

  He started towards the noise, if only to see who’d ruined his one opportunity, and found himself face-to-skull with a young boy, who couldn’t be any older than ten. The boy jumped as their gazes met.

  “Why are you here?” Kravitz asked impatiently once he’d processed the information.

  “P-please don’t hurt me, sir!”

  “Why are you here?” He asked again.

  “I-I-I’m Angus McDonald, b-boy d-detective,” The child responded. “I-I was just trying t-to look at the lair. I didn’t know you still lived here! I wouldn’t have c-come if I knew,” He explained.

  Kravitz looked at the kid for a long while.

  “Don’t come here anymore. It’s not safe for children.”

  The boy looked surprised.

  “But, my investigation-”

_ “Don’t come here,” _ He allowed the lights in his eyes to glow brighter for a moment, if only for effect.

  “Right,” Angus replied shakily.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was kind of all over the place. Sorry about that! My mind is very jumbled, I've been working around being about to go on a trip to see family, so uh. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Sorry it's not,, good ha


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fully Taakitz-central chapter! Enjoy :)

  Kravitz visited the conservatory every day the week following that encounter. He would sit for an hour or two, feeding his birds and hoping for Alter to come by. He knew, gods, he knew it wasn’t healthy, nor was it even the slightest bit practical. He shouldn’t even have been in the  _ building  _ in the  _ first place! _ It was his past, the very past he’d chosen to put  _ behind  _ him.

 

  Yet here he was.

 

  The visit in which he and Alter had spoken had been on Friday.

  It was Tuesday.

  Kravitz had a raven perched on his forearm, and was rubbing under its head with an index finger when he heard a few of the birds at the entrance begin chattering. His shoulders went taught as he tuned into any sounds he might hear.

It was silent for a while, and Kravitz, now in Reaper form, let his spirit fall back. Then:

  “Okay, you in here or what?”

  Kravitz shifted immediately, pressing himself against the wall.

  “Yes,” He replied.

  Alter sighed.

  “Okay, how- uh. How’s this gonna work, huh? Just, like, hide or whatever, or what?”

  Kravitz loosened a bit.

  “I suppose.”

 

  “Well then,” Alter seemingly clasped his hands together. “How about twenty questions?”

  “What?”

  “You know, we just ask eachother a bunch of shit until someone throws a tantrum and leaves. At least, that’s how I learned it.”

  “I’ve..never heard of that.”

  Alter seemed to turn harshly, his shoes clattering.

  “You've never heard of twenty questions? Gods, were you raised in a funeral home?”

  Kravitz thought it best not to confirm that.

  “Alright,” Kravitz sunk to the floor, leaning against the wall. “What..have you been up to? Since I left.”

  Alter scoffed a laugh.

  “Existing? Being alive? I’d ask you the same, but I already know you’re the opposite.”

  Kravitz cracked a smile.

  “I earned that.”

  “You  _ really _ did. So what have you actually been doing?”

  Kravitz observed a black bird land a few feet away, watching as it pecked around for a moment.

  “Living as just a person, I guess,” Kravitz watched as a crow’s caw startled and scared the black bird away.

  “ _ You? _ A  _ person? _ I know you don’t know the rules very well, but one of them  _ is _ to tell the truth about the questions.”

  Kravitz let out a full-on laugh at that one.

 

  “Okay, what was with Friday? I’ve never seen black glass from you before.”

  “You’ve never even seen my  _ face, _ compadre. There’s a lot you have to learn about me,” He teased.

  “That  _ is _ why we’re playing this, isn’t it?”

  Alter let out a sound of understanding.

  “Fair enough. You know Umbra and her stupid fire stuff, yeah? She recently burned a fuckin’ circle of glass into the dirt while we were incognito or whatever because she’s a dumbass. ‘Guess I was thinking about it or something.”

  “That makes sense.”

 

  “Alright, kemosabe, riddle me this one: Why’d you vanish?”

  Kravitz’s smile faltered.

  “I…” he glanced up at the birds around him, wishing his queen could just show up here and now and tell him what to do anymore.

  “I found out one of my..colleagues was a hero,” He said guiltily.

  He could hear Alter perk up.

  “Who? Which one? Do you have any secret info on them? Oh, shit, we could have a  _ field day _ with this-“

_ “No,” _ Kravitz said firmly, his voice a bit louder than usual.

  “ _ No, _ Alter. I can’t do that to someone I care about like that. Why do you think I stopped? I didn’t want to  _ fight _ him!”

 

  It fell silent for multiple minutes.

  “This is stupid. I was stupid to come here,” Alter said, the showy tone he usually put on faltering. “Whatever.”

  Kravitz heard his steps as he began moving towards the exit.

  “Alter.”

  “What?” He asked, clipped. He was still again.

  “Please. I want to be able to talk to you again.”

  “Do you?” The elf responded. “Do you really? Do you really, actually give even two shits about this? You booked it months ago. You didn’t care then, why would you now?”

  “I panicked, Alter! The information was just sprung on me, I didn’t have time to think it over!”

 

  It was silent again. Then:

  “I’ll come a week from now. If you aren’t here, then don’t bother expecting me from that point forward.”

  “Of course.”

  They were quiet for a minute.

  “‘Night.”

  Alter’s steps picked back up, leaving the building solemnly.

 

  “Goodnight, Alter.”

 

* * *

 

  Taako did what he could to be stone as he walked out, but couldn’t help but feel a smile grace his lips as The Reaper wished him goodnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s a little short, y’all. This is mostly a set-up chapter for the meeting kind of aspect that’s gonna be prominent through the story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! *Nervous laugh*

   “Are you coming?” Kravitz was pulled back to reality by Barry’s voice.

   “Sorry, to what?” Kravitz asked for clarification.

   “Barry’s going to have us over to play games with him and Lup! Apparently, she’s really good, but I bet you I could beat her,” Magnus said, the last sentence being in a hushed voice (which meant it was at the level of a stage whisper, at his best).

   “Go at it, beefsteak, I’ll take you down in a hot second!” Lup taunted, grinning from her seat beside Barry. They were sitting in a pub near Barry’s work: a photo development/restoration building. He primarily worked in the dark room, hence his eyebags from the strain of trying to see in the dark as a human. The place wasn’t much, mostly just a sandwich joint with a few low-quality drinks to choose from. Either way, it was easy access for Barry, and Lup seemed into the food, despite its sub-par-ness. Taako hadn’t come, firstly because of work and secondly (and deemed much more important by the man himself) because the food was “shit on a stick” as he had so kindly put it. Lup, despite being just as much of a chef as her brother, said that she found it endearing how average it was; besides, it was still better than what she grew up on (Kravitz wasn’t clear on what that meant exactly, he guessed that their family members were just shit at cooking).

   “Will…” Kravitz hesitated, clearing his throat. “Will your brother be there?” He asked skittishly. Lup gave him a smirk.

   “What’s it to you?” She asked keenly, leaning her elbow on the table, closer to Kravitz’s face than before.

   “Uh-“ Kravitz started to ramble, trying to stutter out an excuse aside from “he’s cute and I’m interested in seeing him physically again because no way will I ever actually talk to him,” when Lup cut him off with a laugh.

   “I don’t care, man, I was joking. It’s cool, he can be scary to new people. My friend Lucy thought he hated her when they first met because he always puts on that tough face to keep strangers from bugging us. Nah, he’s not coming.”

   Kravitz felt a little dejected at that. Not that he was going anyways; he had to meet Alter today in the conservatory. He supposed it was good that he wouldn’t be missing out on much.

   “‘Lucy’? You couldn’t mean Lucretia from the building near the park, could you?” Barry inquired. “The one that hosts the mentorship program? Yeah, that’s her,” Lup responded in confirmation.

   “No way! She used to work at Photoreal half-time before that job! I don’t know how she affords it, in all honesty. Last I checked, they don’t pay much,” Barry explained his relation to the woman, much to Lup’s surprise.

   “Maybe she has something on the side to pay bills,” Lup suggested, before taking a long sip from her drink.

 

* * *

 

   Taako ran the comb frantically through his hair, trying to get it to cooperate to the side the way it always did for Alter. He didn’t want to bother putting product in for a trip so discreet and short as this, but he had to look...like himself. Huffing, he pulled it up into a high bun, checking the mask to make sure it was properly affixed. He stared into the mirror of his and Lup’s bathroom, riddled with products, skincare routines, and dirty dishes that they hadn’t bothered to carry to the kitchen. Placing each hand on the little blank space of the counter, Taako met his own eyes, cold and sharp behind the colorful mask. He wished he really was Alter right now. He wished he was somebody else. Clearing his throat, he spoke a few words in the voice, making sure it was showy enough that it wasn’t recognizable next to his default. He was Alter. He wasn’t Taako. He was Alter.

 

   Taako took his time getting to the conservatory, not concerned with lateness. If he knew The Reaper, he knew he would wait a year if that’s what he asked him to do. Then again, he also thought The Reaper wouldn’t vanish out of nowhere. Maybe he didn’t know him. Maybe he was wrong this whole time-

   “Alter? Tell me that’s you and not some other tourist I have to scare away.”

   Taako- _Alter_ , he reminded himself- scurried behind the nearest wall of the maze, flats sliding on the sand below him (he’d been rolling one of the stones from his belt between his fingers and was startled enough to perhaps maybe have accidentally turned it to dust).

   “It’s me,” He responded, throat feeling like dry sandpaper despite his perfect annunciation. The Reaper sighed in relief, sounding glad. “Good. I already had to trick two separate people into thinking this place was haunted so they would leave.”

   “Boring,” Alter responded, pulling the hood down on his jacket now that he was indoors again. “Should’ve just kicked them out like old times. Classic legion shit, you know? Stir up some spirits, grab some oblivious punk with those shadow-hand-things, the works.”

   The Reaper chuckled, and Taako felt his heart pull for just a moment at the sound. He missed him.

   “Shut up,” He muttered to himself, digging nails into his arm as punishment for being so vulnerable as to think like that.

   “Sorry?” Reaper asked from the center of the maze.

   “Nothing, babe!” Alter forced a smile onto his face for his own reassurance, beginning to walk the length of the maze.

   “Are you wanting to play that...game from before?” The Reaper asked, unsure.

   “Game? Oh, the questions. Go for it, Ghost Rider,” Taako responded.

   “Okay,” The Reaper chuckled. “Hm. How are you?”

   Taako was taken off guard by that.

   “What?” He laughed. “You can ask me anything in the world and you chose _that_? Man, being away from the action’s really softened you up, my guy.” When The Reaper spoke, Taako could hear the smile in his voice.

   “I care, is all. I haven’t gotten to talk to you in so long.” Taako snorted. “You talked to me last week.”

   The Reaper’s voice softened. “I mean _talk_ , Alter. The way we used to?” Taako went silent for a moment, not sure what to say. He didn’t like how open the other man was; never had, really. It made him feel so...vulnerable, when talking to him. Like he owed him openness, honesty. He hated owing anyone anything; that’s why he’d always fly alone, even now. _Lup_ _didn’t_ _count,_ he objected to the voice in the back of his head. _She and I make one person. Shut up._

   “I’m kosher,” Taako grinned confidently, leaning his back against the wall between them.

   “Be honest, Alter,” The Reaper responded. Taako could hear that cute pout in his voice, the one he would use whenever Alter wouldn’t do what he asked, no matter how politely. He could see his creased brow, accentuating the red lights in his eyes by making his expression darker against his already-dark skin. He wondered if he still looked the same.

   “How about we say that _potentially_ , just _perhaps_ I’m just a little- just a _tad_ unhappy? Just a little tiny bit. A minuscule part of me is, say, _bored_ , at best. Being dramatically beautiful at everything I do is a teensy bit less fun without your audience. Just a little,” Taako went on, keeping a jovial tone.

   “Always the transparent type, Alter,” The Reaper laughed to himself. “I suppose that will suffice. For now.” Alter could hear the grin in his voice and felt his chest tilt.

   “Good to hear. Let me ask how _you_ are. You know, for formality’s sake. We definitely don’t sound like old women catching up at the supermarket after not seeing each other for a year because we don’t know how to use fucking phones. Absolutely not.”

   “Indubitably so, yes, of course. I’d like to think I’m doing pretty well for someone who basically quit their one source of income or entertainment,” The Reaper joked. “Could be better, but there’s only so much one can do, yes?”

   “‘ _Oh_  Alter pass me the _tea_ good sir, I’m practically _parched_ , my dear, good _heavens!_ ”Stop speaking like some fancy boy whose mom dressed him up for church, R, just talk like a _person!_  It’s like I can see you holding a tea saucer with your old lady hands and asking me to give you more sugar cubes,” Taako drawled, waving his arms this-way-and-that as he spoke. The Reaper laughed louder than before.

   “Hey, I’m just trying to be formal!”

   “Good, I’d hope so when you’re attending my fucking _funeral_ , because I died. This conversation killed me.”

   The Reaper chuckled again to himself, and Taako saw one of the birds fly from where he guessed the other was, likely having been receiving attention from the man prior.

   “You’re just the same as always,” The Reaper smiled into his voice.

   “Is that bad?” Taako asked, masking his worry.

   “Far from it,” The other responded. They sat in silence for a while, taking in each other’s presence. Taako’s pinky tapped at a brick by his left hand, leveled with the floor from where he was sitting. Quietly, he focused his energy on the object: its dimensions, location, molecular buildup, etcetera, and when he tapped it again, it shifted to pink chalk dust, falling silently to the floor of the conservatory. He trailed his hand down to where the brick had been, walking with his fingers into the opening. The tip of his ring finger came in contact with skin.

   “I should go, it’s getting late. Your sister will worry about you,” The Reaper said, standing suddenly. Taako felt like he had just had the wall pulled away from him and fallen onto his back. The Reaper’s dress heels clicked on the stone as their owner dusted himself off.

   “Yeah, of course,” Alter responded as he got to his feet, quickly straightening his dress (which currently felt like it was about to tangle around his legs and pull him down to Hell, where he might as well already be). He reached to toy with his hair, only to find it still secured in a bun. Pulling his hood up over his head, Taako felt for his mask, making sure he still had it on.

   “I should get going now,” Alter stated, prepping for his shift spell.

   “Hold on, don’t use the dove,” The Reaper said, and _gods_ , how does this man read Taako when he can’t even _see_ him?! “I know how big of a spell it is. Go ahead and go. I’ll wait here and give a prayer to the Queen to give you some time. I promise I won’t look.”

   Damnit, it wasn’t fair how courteous he was when Taako was such an ass. He took a moment, made a noise of confirmation, and began walking. He reached the place where the maze opened into the clearing with the statue of her highness, The Raven Queen, and stood still.

   Taako could see the back of his head, hair billowing down to meet his cloak, circling his figure, as if drawn to the taller man’s magic. The air felt still as he took in The Reaper’s figure, mesmerized by his silhouette alone. Taako swallowed silently, forcing himself to pick up his feet and keep moving to leave.

   “Alter.” Taako looked towards the man again, almost in the clear and terrified that he had spotted him, but The Reaper hadn’t moved, still facing away.

   “Yeah?” Taako responded, barely audible, yet echoing around the chamber due to the silence that lay thick in the atmosphere like a wool blanket.

   “I’m going to come back next week,” The Reaper went on. Taako waited for him to continue, but he never did.

   An open offer. A chance to meet again with no obligations attached. He knew him too well. Taako hated him.

   “Okay,” The elf said, mimicking the mysterious tone his companion had taken up.

 

He left without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I kind of vanished on this fic a good while back, but I recently found my love for writing again, and hope to pursue this story as much as I can! Sorry for keeping anyone waiting, it’s been far too long to excuse :(

**Author's Note:**

> I have bad experience with long-standing projects, but I plan on continuing this work as best as I can!
> 
> P.S. Tell me what you want to see in the comments!


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